More medical frontliners and policemen test positive for COVID-19

• There are at least 50 cops and more than 250 frontliners who are a part of the thousands of COVID-19 cases in the country.
• It is said that one of the factors that lead to this is the lack of PPE supply.

At least 50 cops and 252 health workers have tested positive to the coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19).

The Philippine National Police (PNP) deputy chief for operations Lt. Gen. Guillermo Elazar revealed that aside from the 50 policemen, there are still hundreds of probable and suspected cases.

“Sa ating bagong categorization, merong 50 na confirmed na mga pulis at 254 na probable, 348 na suspect, for a total of 652,” he said in a virtual public briefing aired over PTV 4.

He added that the PNP has already allotted facilities for the affected cops.

On the other hand, at least 252 health workers are now COVID-19 positive.

This is according to a statement by the Department of Health (DOH) a few days ago. Dr. Beverly Ho said that 152 of the total number are doctors and 63 are nurses.

She also said that there are 11 health workers who died because of the disease.

However, the Private Hospitals Association of the Philippines (PHAP) has stated that 21 doctors have already succumbed to COVID-19. A factor that led to the high numbers of frontliner deaths is the lack of personal protective equipment (PPE) in private hospitals.

“Wag naman lahat government hospitals lang ang bigyan nila ng PPE,” PHAP president Rustico Jimenez said.

“Marami silang sinasabi na dumating na pero actually walang nakukuha ‘yung private hospitals, private consultants tayo, we buy our own kaso wala ring makuha.”

There are 5,453 cases, 349 deaths, and 353 recoveries of COVID-19 in the Philippines as of this writing.